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Background: BSG (CD147) is a member of the immunoglobulin superfamily that shows roles for potential prognostics and therapeutics for metastatic cancers and SARS-CoV-2 invasion for COVID-19. The susceptibility of malignant cancers to SARS-CoV-2 as well as the correlations between disease outcome and BSG expression in tumor tissues have not been studied in depth. Methods: In this study, we explored the BSG expression profile, survival correlation, DNA methylation, mutation, diagnostics, prognostics, and tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) from different types of cancer tissues with corresponding healthy tissues. In vitro studies for cordycepin (CD), N6-(2-hydroxyethyl) adenosine (HEA), N6, N6-dimethyladenosine (m62A) and 5′-uridylic acid (UMP) on BSG expression were also conducted. Results: We revealed that BSG is conserved among different species, and significantly upregulated in seven tumor types, including ACC, ESCA, KICH, LIHC, PAAD, SKCM and THYM, compared with matched normal tissues, highlighting the susceptibility of these cancer patients to SARS-CoV-2 invasion, COVID-19 severity and progression of malignant cancers. High expression in BSG was significantly correlated with a short OS in LGG, LIHC and OV patients, but a long OS in KIRP patients. Methylation statuses in the BSG promoter were significantly higher in BRCA, HNSC, KIRC, KIRP, LUSC, PAAD, and PRAD tumor tissues, but lower in READ. Four CpGs in the BSG genome were identified as potential DNA methylation biomarkers which could be used to predict malignant cancers from normal individuals. Furthermore, a total of 65 mutation types were found, in which SARC showed the highest mutation frequency (7.84%) and THYM the lowest (0.2%). Surprisingly, both for disease-free and progression-free survival in pan-cancers were significantly reduced after BSG mutations. Additionally, a correlation between BSG expression and immune lymphocytes of CD56bright natural killer cell, CD56dim natural killer cell and monocytes, MHC molecules of HLA-A, HLA-B, HLA-C and TAPBP, immunoinhibitor of PVR, PVRL2, and immunostimulators of TNFRSF14, TNFRSF18, TNFRSF25, and TNFSF9, was revealed in most cancer types. Moreover, BSG expression was downregulated by CD, HEA, m62A or UMP in cancer cell lines, suggesting therapeutic potentials for interfering entry of SARS-CoV-2. Conclusions: Altogether, our study highlights the values of targeting BSG for diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic strategies to fight malignant cancers and COVID-19. Small molecules CD, HEA, m62A and UMP imply therapeutic potentials in interfering with entry of SARS-CoV-2 and progression of malignant cancers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper documents industrial output growth around the poor periphery (Latin America, the European periphery, the Middle East and North Africa, Asia, and sub-Saharan Africa) between 1870 and 2007. We find that although the roots of rapid peripheral industrialization stretch into the late 19th century, the high point of peripheral industrialization was the 1950-1973 period, which saw widespread import-substituting industrialization. This period was also the high point of unconditional industrial catching up, defined as the tendency of less industrialized countries to post higher per capita manufacturing growth rates, and which occurred between 1920 and 1990. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Was the average late nineteenth century Canadian manufacturer a hopelessly inefficient laggard when compared to his American counterparts just on the other side of the international border? Could it have been that Canadian producers were really productivity leaders so early in their industrialization process? To answer these fundamental questions about the performance of a small open economy at a key juncture in its industrial development we need a quantitative comparison of Canadian relative to US productivity. Unfortunately, the approach we adopt with respect to data compilation, methodological choice, and the identification of inputs, outputs, input weights, and prices has both quantitative and qualitative effects on any performance assessment we may undertake. To illustrate the severity of these effects we use manuscript census data from 1870/1871 to derive a series of total factor productivity (TFP) comparisons for a sample of manufacturing establishments located immediately to the north and south of the Canada–US border. Even with some of the most common and defensible variable definitions, we find dramatic differences between the most optimistic and most pessimistic assessments of late nineteenth century Canadian performance. Our case study suggests to us that those interested in the assessment of long run performance differentials should appreciate the sensitivity of these assessments and they should carefully consider the approach that has been taken toward data preparation, methodological choice, and variable definitions in their construction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]